


любовь Amour Love (and how we tripped over it)

by CasTheButler



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Falling In Love, Living Together, Tater and Bitty are the worst and can't be trusted, again I'll tag as it becomes appropriate but everything is both very cute and utter bullshit, mentions of Jack's anxiety, there is a dog, they call Tater Lexy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-11-21 11:22:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11356467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CasTheButler/pseuds/CasTheButler
Summary: Maybe it starts when Bitty and Tater buy a dog, maybe it starts when Tater moves in, Maybe it's none of these things or all of them. Jack doesn't know but  he feels like he's falling all over again





	1. Chapter One: Maybe This Is How We Begin

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written any fic for so long, other than short bits on tumblr (which really I should cross post) any way this was actually meant to be a one shot but my brain will not co-operate at all so I thought I'd at least post the beginning to try and get it rolling and see if anyone is actually interested in my pretty self indulgent fluff piece.

Jack turned his pasta sauce down to a simmer when he heard the telling chimes of a Skype call. He clicked the answer button and is greeted by Bitty's grinning face. 

“Hey Bits,” Jack said and gave a small wave. Jack loved Skype calls more than just regular ordinary ones because he got to see his boyfriend's face.  
“How are you doing Sweetheart?” Bitty asked. Jack had been having a few high anxiety days and had even had to take off practice, but he was feeling better now. Jack slides himself into a chair because he'd still been standing until this point.  
“I'm actually really good, Tater is going to come stay the night and take Sandy to his training,” Jack told him, Bitty nodded along to all of this information attentively. Sandy was a Labrador that Bitty and Tater had decided to adopt. Their hearts were in the right place so Jack couldn't fault them. However, because Tater's apartment was too small and Bitty lived in the Haus. Jack had found himself with a new housemate. He didn't mind too much because Sandy was actually great for Jack's anxiety but this was one of the many reasons nobody would let Eric Bittle and Alexei Mashkov do anything alone. Jack's pretty sure there's a contract and everything. He wouldn't but it past George.  
“Tell him to call me, so I can check up on him too. I want to make Y'all some pies over the weekend when I come to visit” insisted Bitty. Jack rubbed a hand over his eyes but he wasn't really annoyed.  
“It's nice to see you're consistent with destroying our diet plans” Jack teased and Bitty's cheeks flushed.

Sandy let out a soft bark and Jack heard the front door open. A small part of him panicked for a moment even though he knew it was unnecessary, you could only get through the door with a key and other than Jack himself, three people had been given one and one of them was on the other side of his laptop.  
“Is that Alexei?” asked Bitty. His question is answered by its self when the man himself walked into view. Jack sighed, got up and gave Tater a hug. He gestured for his teammate to sit down.  
"I'm going to go check on dinner," Jack said, "You guys talk," he continued. He heard Bitty and Tater talking animatedly as he walked off.

He's pleased when he gets to the kitchen to find the sauce hadn't burnt. Jack managed but he knew he wasn't the best cook. Particularly when he was distracted, just last week he'd destroyed the steak he was cooking because he'd been playing with the dog. 

"Hey, Zimmboni" Tater said from somewhere behind Jack. He knew that meant he'd hung up with Bitty. Jack was a little upset he hadn't gotten to have his own goodbye. Jack felt as Tater's arms wrapped around him and he relaxed into the hug. Tater leans his head on top of Jack's. "Pasta, love pasta" he exclaimed.  
"Yes, I know" Jack laughed and shrugged Tater off him. Tater grabbed his bag and slung it over one shoulder.  
“Be back, something I want to discuss with you” Tater said easily and wandered off towards his room, it wasn't actually his room in the strictest sense but barely anyone else used it. Jack felt himself tense up and tried to busy himself. By the time Tater had come back Jack had served up two large helpings off food. 

They ate mostly in silence and Jack spent the whole time worried about what Tater had to say until he finally caved and blurted out,  
“What did you want to talk about?” Tater set his cutlery down and visibly swallowed.  
“I was talking to B, and lease is up super soon, and Sandy's here and I thought I could help more with him because we, because” Tater trailed off, in large part because his breathing had gotten too heavy for him to be able to speak.  
“Lexy, what's the matter?” Jack asked softly. Tater took a couple of breaths and smiled widely.  
“I've never asked anyone if I could move in with them, it's scarier than I thought” Tater replied. Jack stared at him for a moment before he broke into his own grin  
“Well half your clothes are already in that closet and your dog is here and yes, yes I'd love to have you here,” Jack told him. The two of them went back to eating with Tater slipping Sandy meatballs from his pasta. “The dog has his own food and you know it.”


	2. Alexei and Sandy's Day Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alexei takes Sandy to his dog training class

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think there are any warnings I need to put on here, there is a very brief mention of a program that helps dogs that have come from abusive homes, but it's really no more detail than the statement I've just made here. 
> 
> This is a completely Alexei 'Tater' Mashkov-centric chapter.

Alexei woke up before his alarm because Sandy clambered onto his bed to nudge him for food. Alexei sighed and rolled over but less than a minute later he trodded into the kitchen because  
Sandy is too hard to ignore. Jack had left a note on the kitchen counter to say he'd gone for a morning run and that he had some meetings with George for most of the day. Alexei fed himself and the dog and sat down to watch cartoons for the hour before Sandy's dog training. 

Sandy was probably about a year old, he'd been bought as a gift for a little boy and after four months the family figured out a dog wasn't the best fit for their family and they'd at least had the decency to bring him to a shelter where he'd lived for another five and a half months before Eric and Alexei got him. 

Alexei found Sandy's lead on Jack's coat rack and attached it to his collar. He gave Sandy a quick scratch behind the ears that he seemed to enjoy. Alexei had never had a dog growing up so he'd been very excited when Eric had suggested they take him home. Even without hindsight, Alexei had known it was a bad idea, but he'd been so smitten with the dog he couldn't think of a reason to say no. Alexei opened the door and checked he had his keys, his wallet and his phone and then he closed the door. Then he checked he had his keys, his wallet and his phone. It didn't matter too much, he knew Jack's number off by heart if he did lock himself out and the wallet is just in case he wanted to buy something. Sandy's dog training lessons were already paid for.

The walk to the nearby park wasn't very far and Alexei waved at several people who power walked past him. A young woman stopped and asked if she could pet Sandy and Sandy jumped all over her, luckily the woman didn't seem to mind too much which made Alexei grateful. He arrived at the park a few minutes earlier than required. The trainer Marissa called him over as soon as she spotted him. Alexei had decided he liked Marissa as soon as he met her, she was very friendly and made the class earlier. They'd discussed whether to put Sandy in puppy training or a program called Old Dogs, New Tricks which was largely about rehabilitating dogs that had gone through abusive homes and helping them and the owners understand each other better. They'd decided to go with Puppy Training because Sandy was still young enough and even though the family that originally bought him couldn't look after him there were luckily no signs of him being hurt or neglected in any way which made Alexei glad. He also hoped that one day they might adopt another dog who needed more help. Alexei shook his head it's a nice thought but he shouldn't be thinking about getting more pets with Eric and Jack, he'd probably already asked too much of Jack with Sandy and moving in.

The class went well. Sandy is a very smart dog and Alexei is excited to call Eric and tell him how everything went. Alexei called Eric after every class, even if Eric was coming to visit Jack within the proceeding few days. 

Alexei walked back to Jack's house to fed Sandy and play with him a bit, he tidied up the kitchen and the bedroom he used. Then he checked the time and messaged Jack to see when he'd be home. Jack said he wouldn't be long and Alexei knew that Sandy would be alright by himself until then. He grabbed his car keys and drove back to his apartment. He kicked his shoes off in the hallway and ignored the ache in his chest that made him feel like he was missing something vital. He checked the training schedule for the next few days and groaned slightly at the early morning practices. It wasn't that Alexei hated mornings, he just didn't like to wake up earlier than necessary. Alexei flopped down on the couch and dialled in Eric's number.

“Hey Tater, hang on gotta put you on speaker” Eric's slightly muffled voice came.  
“Okay B” Alexei replied and tried to make himself comfortable, the couch was not the greatest and he'd be happy to turf it. He'd give it to Eric's frat house because he'd complained more than once about the green monstrosity, but Alexei liked those guys and wouldn't want to subject them to suffering.  
“How was your day?” Eric asked, his voice still muffled and also a little tinny.  
“Was good, Sandy is very clever,” Alexei said. Eric let out a laugh  
“He has a very clever owner” Eric replied and Alexei frowned.  
“I'm not very clever Itty Bitty” Alexei said. Eric was silent on the other end of the phone for quite a while.  
“Tater...Lexy, you are very smart, of course, you are, you're a very talented hockey player as well and a wonderful person and a fantastic taste tester for pies and jam. Gosh, look at me prattling on but it doesn't make it less true. It just goes to show how great you are that I can prattle -”

“- Thank you” Alexei whispered.  
“What? Oh, anytime,” Eric answered himself. Alexei let out a laugh.  
“You are very talented and wonderful too," Alexei insisted. A ding can be heard in the background and Alexei thought it must be Eric's oven.  
"Is that a pie? I'll let you sort that out. I'll see you in a few days" Alexei told him.  
"I'll see you in a few days," Eric parroted.  
"Bye,"  
"Bye."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this probably isn't super well written and I'm trying really hard to stay in one tense but my brain keeps switching them around.
> 
> Come talk to me about Sandy
> 
> EDIT: I fixed some tenses and clarified that it's the dog Alexei is smitten by, even though let's be real it's a little of both

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry it's super short and there's probably a thousand errors but I just need to get it out
> 
> I promise there will be more Sandy.


End file.
